Lauren LeBlanc

3 weeks ago | latimes.com | Lauren LeBlanc

The desire to avoid topical novels is understandable during fraught times: So many readers turn to novels as an escape from our endless news cycle, and the last thing some might think they want is to dip into fiction grappling with dystopian themes. But it’s all the more imperative to read such work when the line between contemporary events and fiction blurs.

3 weeks ago | yahoo.com | Lauren LeBlanc

The desire to avoid topical novels is understandable during fraught times: So many readers turn to novels as an escape from our endless news cycle, and the last thing some might think they want is to dip into fiction grappling with dystopian themes. But it's all the more imperative to read such work when the line between contemporary events and fiction blurs.

1 month ago | bostonglobe.com | Lauren LeBlanc

Extreme pressure is generally a recipe for disaster, but what if an explosion is the point? This line of reasoning drives Marcy Dermansky’s slim and potent novel “Hot Air.” Known for her direct style and evocative storytelling, she’s exceptional as a sharp satirist. This arch, edgy comedy is no exception. Be prepared for a sleek but ultimately corrosive rush. The book begins at a personal crossroads.

1 month ago | latimes.com | Lauren LeBlanc

It takes an unconventional fabulist to address something so vast as American history. Karen Russell is known for surreal storytelling and fantastic language in work marked by slanted perspective and outlandish scenarios which illuminate dormant truths.

2 months ago | bostonglobe.com | Lauren LeBlanc

If you strongly connected with the overarching conceit of “All Fours,” but couldn’t quite relate to that book’s iconoclastic narrator, there’s a new novel for you. While “All Fours” resembles an edgy, provocative A24 movie, “Crush” by Ada Calhoun feels like a brainy rom-com that could have been adapted by the late great Nora Ephron.